Scientists win historic battle over oilsands monitoring. While the Canadian and provincial governments at first proposed that a plan to implement monitoring of oilsands extraction be controlled by the government and conducted, in part, by an industry-financed operation, a group of scientists insisted that the monitoring be independent and include aboriginal participation. The scientists prevailed. Montreal Gazette 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Scientists say contamination of ocean fish minimal so far. The massive radioactive fallout from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has sparked fear in seafood lovers and commercial fishermen both at home and abroad, and some worry the contamination could pass through and even become more concentrated in the ocean food chain. Japan Times 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Nuclear crisis bolsters Japan push for utilities reform. Debate on utility reform will formally kick off at an expert panel – one key strand of a potentially sweeping remake of Japan's energy policy intended to reduce the role of nuclear power, promote renewables, spur energy conservation and address the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. Reuters 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Famine ends in Somalia, as drought looms in West Africa. As famine eases in East Africa, there are signs that a severe drought is beginning to take hold in West Africa, placing strains on a global aid system that is still struggling to recover from the Horn of Africa drought of 2011. Christian Science Monitor 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Malaria kills twice as many as thought, study suggests. Malaria kills more than 1.2 million people worldwide a year, nearly twice as many as previously thought, according to new research published on Friday that questions years of assumptions about the mosquito-borne disease. Reuters 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Could 2012 be year of the wind turbine? Britain is building more wind turbines this year than ever before with almost 800 turbines due to start spinning across the countryside and around the coast over the next 12 months. The Telegraph 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Debate over jobs spills into U.S.-China solar spat. A long-running dispute about whether China's cheap solar panels are good or bad for the U.S. solar industry is now, too, becoming about jobs—tens of thousands of them, according to a new analysis. Inside Climate News 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
India, EU try to break logjam over airline carbon tax. The European Union is willing to consider whether India's efforts to reduce carbon emissions could qualify for waivers under an EU law that charges airlines for polluting, the 27-nation bloc's climate chief said on Friday. Reuters 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
EU climate chief sees 'unpleasant' talks ahead. EU climate chief Connie Hedegaard acknowledged Friday that "difficult and unpleasant" negotiations lay ahead with countries like India and China to agree a global framework to cut greenhouse-gas emissions. Agence France-Presse 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Looking forward, Fiji turns to its canoeing past. As the world potentially sinks deeper into recession and issues of climate change are felt even in the smallest of Fiji’s outer islands, going back to canoeing traditions of the past could prove a financial way forward. New York Times 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Solar power incentives lose their shine. In England, the fledgling solar industry has been flourishing, but the halving of government subsidies has thrown it into confusion. The Telegraph 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Warming seas and corals: A new conundrum. In research conducted off western Australia, scientists found that coral growth in that region had accelerated through the 20th century as ocean temperatures warmed. The effect was most pronounced at higher latitudes where the ocean tends to be colder — a strong indication that the warming caused by human release of carbon dioxide is benefiting corals in that region. New York Times 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Island nations want climate change in world court. Small island nations, whose very existence is threatened by the rising sea levels brought about by global warming, are seeking to take the issue of climate change before the International Court of Justice. Associated Press 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
More than 220 dead as Europe freezes. Temperatures have plunged to new lows in Europe, where a week-long cold snap has now claimed more than 220 lives as forecasters warned that the big freeze would tighten its grip over the weekend. Agence France-Presse 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Europe is too emotional about fracking, says Shell chief. Shell's chief executive, Peter Voser, called on Europe for a less "emotional" response to fracking, as he outlined plans to accelerate the oil giant's use of the controversial technology used to release hydrocarbons from rocks. London Independent 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Spain says US to help in nuclear clean-up. Spain said Friday it had received guarantees that the United States will help clean up land contaminated with radioactivity after a mid-air collision in 1966 dumped four US hydrogen bombs in the country's south. Associated Press 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
UAE pays full attention to environment. The UAE has reclaimed vast desert areas to establish farms and artificial forests, therefore providing safe sanctuaries to many endangered species of fauna and flora. Khaleej Times 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
We can’t arrest typhoid on our own: Harare. Council has failed to address the social determinants leading to diarrheal diseases – typhoid included – and is appealing for Government's intervention to holistically arrest the crisis, a senior official admitted yesterday. Harare Herald 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Famine in Somalia is over, says UN. The famine is over in Somalia thanks to good rains, a bumper harvest and donor aid, but the next 90 days will be critical to ensure the country does not slip back into extreme hunger, United Nations officials have said. The Guardian 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Reference radioactive materials finally arrive in Japan. Research institutions in Japan have started a joint program with the International Atomic Energy Agency to enhance the accuracy of radioactivity measurements to meet international standards, the University of Tsukuba said Feb. 3. Asahi Shimbun 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
Japan wants in on nuclear accident compensation pact. Prompted by the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Japan has decided to join an international convention that will set a global uniform standard for compensating victims of such nuclear disasters, sources said. Asahi Shimbun 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
In electricity market: who’s got the power? In Tokyo, where buying electricity from the country’s premier utility is an increasingly pricey proposition, buying power from a cheaper independent provider may seem like a good idea. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple, especially when nuclear reactors used to supply 30% of the country's electricity. Wall Street Journal 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00